Press Start, allow the microphone, then play or sing one note.
The microphone is read only in your browser. No audio is recorded, saved or uploaded.
Play or sing one clear, steady note at a time, away from other noise.
About the Chromatic Tuner
A chromatic tuner names any note you play, not only the strings of one instrument. This free online tuner listens through your microphone and shows four things: the note name, its octave, the frequency in Hz and how many cents it is off.
Use it for wind and brass instruments, a piano or keyboard, a harp, a mandolin, your voice, or a guitar in an unusual tuning. It works on a phone, a tablet or a computer, and nothing is recorded.
Features
- Any note — all 12 notes of every octave, from B0 (about 31 Hz) to G6 (about 1,568 Hz)
- Note and octave — see A4 or A3, so you know exactly which note you played
- Frequency in Hz — the pitch the microphone hears, to one decimal
- Cents and a needle — the needle shows flat or sharp, and *In tune* means within 5 cents
- Reference pitch — move A4 from 415 to 466 Hz (440 is the standard)
- Instrument tunings too — guitar, bass, ukulele and violin are in the same list
- Private — nothing is recorded, saved or uploaded; your settings stay in this browser
How to read the tuner
- The big letter is the nearest note. The small number after it is the octave: middle C on a piano is C4, and the A above it is A4
- The frequency (for example 441.2 Hz) is the pitch the microphone hears
- The cents say how far you are from the note. 100 cents is one semitone, so −20 cents means a fifth of a semitone too low
- The needle is in the middle when you are right. Left = flat (too low), right = sharp (too high)
Sharps are shown with #. C# is the same note as D♭, D# is E♭, F# is G♭, G# is A♭ and A# is B♭.
Notes and frequencies (octave 4)
With the standard reference A4 = 440 Hz. One octave higher doubles the number, one octave lower halves it.
| Note | Frequency | Note | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| C4 (middle C) | 261.63 Hz | F#4 / G♭4 | 369.99 Hz |
| C#4 / D♭4 | 277.18 Hz | G4 | 392.00 Hz |
| D4 | 293.66 Hz | G#4 / A♭4 | 415.30 Hz |
| D#4 / E♭4 | 311.13 Hz | A4 | 440.00 Hz |
| E4 | 329.63 Hz | A#4 / B♭4 | 466.16 Hz |
| F4 | 349.23 Hz | B4 | 493.88 Hz |
Concert pitch and transposing instruments
The tuner always shows concert pitch: the note that really sounds. Some instruments are written in another key, so the tuner shows a different name than the one on your sheet music:
| Instrument | Written C sounds as |
|---|---|
| Trumpet, clarinet, tenor and soprano saxophone (B♭) | B♭ (shown as A#) |
| Alto and baritone saxophone (E♭) | E♭ (shown as D#) |
| French horn (F) | F |
| Flute, oboe, violin, piano, trombone | C (no change) |
So when an alto saxophone plays its written C, the tuner shows D# (E♭). That is correct. Band tuning notes are usually concert B♭ or concert A.
Tips for a clean reading
- One note at a time — chords and two voices confuse any tuner
- Play steady and medium loud — very soft notes can be lost in room noise, very loud ones can sound sharp for a moment
- Wind players: warm up first. A cold instrument plays flat, and it rises as it warms
- Singers: hold a vowel like "ah" for two seconds and watch where the needle settles
- Keep the microphone close for very low notes; small microphones hear them weakly
Frequently asked questions
What is a chromatic tuner?
A tuner that recognises all 12 notes of every octave. A simple guitar tuner only listens for six strings; a chromatic tuner names whatever note it hears, so it works for any instrument and for the voice.
Can I use it to find what note I am singing?
Yes. Press Start and sing one steady note. The tuner shows the note, its octave and how close you are.
Why does my saxophone or trumpet show the wrong note?
It is not wrong — the tuner shows concert pitch. B♭ instruments sound one whole step lower than written, and E♭ instruments sound a major sixth lower. See the table above.
Which notes can it hear?
From about 31 Hz (B0) to about 1,568 Hz (G6). That covers everything from the low B of a 5 string bass to above the highest notes of most singers. The very top notes of a flute, a piccolo or a violin are not shown.
What reference pitch should I use?
440 Hz is the standard. Some orchestras use 442 or 443 Hz; baroque groups often use 415 Hz. Move the slider to match. The tuner remembers it in this browser.
Is anything recorded?
No. The sound is measured in your browser and thrown away straight away. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Related tools
- Guitar Tuner — guitar tunings with a string list
- Violin Tuner — violin, viola and cello
- Ukulele Tuner — G C E A, low G and baritone
- Bass Tuner — 4, 5 and 6 string bass
- Tone Generator — play a note at any frequency
- Spectrogram — see the notes and their overtones as a picture
How to use it
- Chromatic — any note is already picked
- Press Start and allow the microphone when the browser asks
- Play or sing one note and hold it
- Read the note, the octave and the needle — left is flat, right is sharp
- Adjust (tighten or loosen a string, move a mouthpiece or a slide, or sing higher or lower) until it says *In tune*
- Press Stop when you are done, to turn the microphone off
